The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium, botanically known as Pelargonium zonale, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Duege.
Duege is a product of planned breeding program which had the objective of creating new Geranium cultivars with pale red colored flowers, and a great number of inflorescences.
Duege was originated from a hybridization made in a controlled breeding program in Rheinberg, FRG, in 1984. The female parent was an unnamed seedling. The male parent of Duege was an unnamed seedling.
Duege was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by Guenter Duemmen in 1985 in a controlled environment in Rheinberg.
The first act of asexual reproduction of Duege was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in July, 1985 in a controlled environment in Rheinberg by a technician working under formulations established and supervised by Guenter Duemmen. Horticultural examination of selected units initiated in October, 1985 has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for Duege are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
Duege has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length. The following observations, measurements, and comparisons describe plants grown in Rheinberg under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial practice.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of Duege which in combination distinguish this geranium as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. New kind of color; PA0 2. Great number of umbels; PA0 3. Semi double flower form; PA0 4. Very early time of beginning of flowering;
Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor(s), the most similar in comparison to Duege is Casino (Floranova). Reference is made to attached Chart A which compares certain characteristics of Duege to those same characteristics of Casino. In comparison to Casino, Duege has greater number of umbels, earlier time of beginning of flowering, and no white color on the lower side of the lower petals.